


Bilgesnipe in New York

by BabyGoodbye (orphan_account)



Series: Always Watching... [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, hurt/comfot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-29
Updated: 2012-08-29
Packaged: 2017-11-13 03:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/BabyGoodbye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After becoming Clint's constant protector, Loki joins the Avengers. He's well aware that Clint will never return his feelings but hey, that's okay. As long as everyone is safe and alive, Loki can deal with the heartbreak. Something of a sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/495059">this.</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Bilgesnipe in New York

Loki knew that it was pointless to covet and pine for the archer like some love struck maid but reason and the notion of practicality had long escaped the trickster. Or had it? No, perhaps not; it was simply that his reason in life had changed. He’d joined the side of justice, not for any interest in breaking up the petty arguments of mortals – he’d been told many times that nuclear war threats were not insignificant arguments but since Loki had yet to see the effects of such a weapon he still thought these acts minor – but for the archer. His reason in life now was to play the role that Clint once played for him: his protector and right hand man. No one touched Clint without first going through Loki. Therefore, no one ever touched Clint. If there was so much as a scratch on the archer by the end of a battle then there would be Hel to pay. Loki prided himself on Clint’s wellbeing. 

Loki knew that Clint didn’t feel for him in the same way. Clint was a free spirit whose heart could never truly be claimed. He was loyal to those loyal to him and that was all. Which was why they now seemed so close, why all looked to be forgiven despite Loki claiming that he did not deserve forgiveness. It was why he found himself curled up on the couch in Stark Tower with his head on Clint’s shoulder. The archer was smiling, his attention appearing to be on polishing his bow. 

“You know, you were actually right about one thing.”

Loki straightened to look him in the eye, arching a brow curiously. 

“When you were trying to take over,” Clint continued, drawing even more of Loki’s attention than he already had. Clint was smirking. “It is quite nice to have someone worshiping you.” It took Loki a moment to realise Clint was talking about the way Loki now seemed to worship him. “Hurts though, doesn’t it?”

“No. It doesn’t hurt,” Loki frowned. “It is satisfying enough.”

“You might be the god of lies, Loki, but you’re not fooling me. When I was yours-“

“Was?” Loki smirked and in return received a playfully hard shove. 

“Don’t interrupt. When I was yours, it was painful. Yes it was satisfying enough to do your bidding and keep your safe but it was empty… knowing that no matter how deeply I loved you, you’d never feel the same.”

“And now it is reversed.”

“Yes.”

Loki let the conversation fall flat there. Clint knew it was more than just loyalty that bound Loki to him now; it is obvious to him as it is to everyone else that Loki had fallen fast and hard for the archer. Loki knows he knows and for that reason he does not denied his feelings, not even now when Clint in a long winded way had broken to him the news that he will never feel the same. It was more painful to hear than it should have been. It wasn’t as though Loki wasn’t already perfectly aware of the situation. His head fell again to the archer’s shoulder. He wore a false smile. Clint’s smile was real, hidden, stealing Loki’s old mischief. He was hiding something. Loki didn’t realise.

The peace didn’t last long.

“Suit up. Got some trouble downtown.” Captain America was already in full uniform, decked out in the red, white and blue with his shield at the ready. Loki stood, skinny jeans and t-shirt magically evaporating in the same second as his favoured black and green leather materialised on his body. He didn’t wear the helmet these days; he can only take so many of Tony’s reindeer jokes that have gotten worse since Thor had visited and also thrown ‘cow’ into the mix of jests. Clint still rolled his eyes; he always says Loki goes overboard with his suit. Loki always protests that if anyone draws the eye it’s going to be the one in patriotic spandex or the one in a metal suit or the Hulk… or even his own overbearing brother in his shining silver. It wasn’t long before everyone was assembled and ready to fight for the safety of Midgard.

*

“What the heck is that thing?”

“No, the question is, how did it get here?” Loki corrected, staring at the huge beast currently taking a bite out of the front window of a pastry shop. He felt everyone’s eyes on him and rolled his own. “Huge, scaly… antlers. Ring any bells?”

“That’s a bilgesnipe?”

“Yep.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep.” 

Not only that but the beast was not alone. Figuring out how they got here was not the main objective now; that could come later. For now the Captain quickly went about evacuating the area, Iron Man hit one a few times – unsuccessful though it did drive it into more of a rage – and Loki teleported himself and Clint onto the edge of a building. Arrows were fired. Loki guided him, suggesting that he used the explosive arrowheads and aimed for the moments the bilgesnipe opened their mouths. Of course it worked like a charm. Loki gave more than just advice of course; he returned to the ground to fight with the others, daggers and green energy and spells and all. 

He woke up later in Clint’s arms.

“Morning sunshine,” the archer smirked. Loki chuckled, making to get up only to be met with a sharp pain in his chest. His eyes registered confusion as he realised he didn’t remember falling asleep or leaving the battle. He remembered seeing the beast climb Clint’s building and raise a huge claw… Loki’s eyes moved to see the deep gashes across his chest. “Yeah, you saved me again,” Clint smiled, pushing Loki’s hair behind his ear.

“I don’t…”

“You distracted it. Stood in the way to stop it getting to me.”

“And it hit me?”

“Yeah.” Clint’s fingers ran over his chest, the uninjured side. Loki realised then that he is no longer wearing a shirt. Surely it couldn’t have ripped all of his leather away from him? “Stop looking so confused. I took your armour off so that Bruce could look at you. But now you’re awake so I guess you can heal yourself?” 

Loki didn’t answer for a moment and then shook his head, pushing himself further into Clint’s arms where he was strangely well received. Clint held him gently, protectively even and stroked his hand through his hair, smiling all the while. 

“Hurts too much,” Loki explained. “I need focus… I’m so not focused right now.”

“Okay. Just don’t die, will ya?”

“Don’t plan on it.” He looked up at Clint. He wouldn’t die because dying meant being away from him and that would hurt more than the injury. He smirked, “Why? Think you’d miss me?”

“Yeah.”

“You’d have no one to save your life.”

“No… I wouldn’t have a life without you. You are it, Loki.” That hidden smile of Clint’s is back. Loki wondered how long he had been planning to make him wait to hear those words. His hand moved to Clint’s neck, pulling him down desperately. Clint complied. Lips soon touched, gentle but longing. Clint pulled back first.

“Tease.”


End file.
